How to Reduce Background Noise Using DaVinci Resolve 20

All three NLEs – Final Cut, Premiere and Resolve – provide audio tools to remove background noise. Most use machine learning to achieve this.

• Here’s how to reduce background noise in Apple Final Cut Pro 11.
• Here’s how to reduce background noise in Adobe Premiere Pro 2025.

While these are advertised as “removing” noise, a more accurate term is “reducing” noise. Both background noise and human speech occupy the same frequency range. Removing too much background noise may damage the voice quality of the speaker.

So, when applying these effects, you are looking for a balance between removing as much noise as necessary without damaging the speaker’s voice.

NOTE: If you need an absolutely clean background, you should re-record the audio in a studio using ADR techniques. Most of the time, though, we like a bit of background because it creates the feeling of being on location.

Here’s our sample mono audio clip. It’s an interview recorded at a trade show with a lot of background noise, as you can see from the raised waveform at the beginning  of the clip.

Here’s how to reduce the background noise and enhance the voice.

RESOLVE AI DIALOGUE LEVELER – ALL VERSIONS

In the Edit page, select a timeline clip, then, go to Inspector > Audio (top two red arrows) and enable AI Dialog Leveler (bottom red arrow) by clicking the slider on the left. A gray slider indicates “Disabled,” a red slider indicates “Enabled.”

NOTE: This feature is also available in the same location for the Cut page and in Effects > Restoration > Fairlight FX for every Fairlight channel strip.

Check Background reduction. (The other settings manipulate levels.)

“The Dialogue Leveler analyzes source material to detect dialogue and then “rides down” louder areas, “lifts up” softer areas, and lowers background sounds that are not dialogue.

“It works without the typical “pumping” or other unwanted side effects of dynamics processors (compression/limiting) to produce results like those achieved through detailed, manual clip gain adjustments or “riding” the track with fader automation.” (Resolve help)

I prefer setting Mode to Allow wider dynamics. Noise is only reduced when the speaker is speaking. Be careful not to choose a setting which removes the noise completely, as having it pop in and out can be distracting

RESOLVE AI VOICE ISOLATION STUDIO VERSION

Voice Isolation is only available in the Studio version.

“Voice Isolation is a plugin that can remove loud, undesirable sounds from existing voice recordings. This effect utilizes AI to provide models that let you completely remove undesired sounds. The AI model is trained for any type of human voice, male or female, young or old, so you can get incredible results that isolate dialog from background sounds in a recording, including everything from air conditioning or fans to extremely loud sounds like a jackhammer, restaurant background noise, or music playing at the same time that the subject is speaking, and so on.” (Resolve help)

The Amount control adjusts the mix between the original source and the isolated voice. The default setting of 100 removes almost all background noise with very little damage to the voice. For me, this setting is excessive.

When Amount is set to 50, the mix is roughly equal. Values between 70 and 80 work well for natural results while strongly isolating the source. The exact amount you use will vary by clip. For my noisy clip, a setting of 25 worked best.

SUMMARY

In general, you want to remove enough background noise so you can clearly hear the speaker, while still retaining the feeling of being “on location.”

As with all effects, the amount you use will vary by clip. I would recommend using either Voice Isolation or Background Reduction, but not both, on the same clip.